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+ SAINTS PETER AND PAUL ORTHODOX CHURCH NEWSLETTER April, 2012 Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church A Parish of the Orthodox Church in America Archpriest John Udics, Rector 305 Main Road, Herkimer, New York, 13350 Parish Web Page: www.cnyorthodoxchurch.org CHRIST IS RISEN! ХРИСТОС ВОСКРЕСЕ! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Newsletter, April, 2012 This month’s Newsleter is in memory of John, Vera and Frank Prawlocki, and departed members of the Stehnach, Jovorosky, Prawlocki and Gromadsky families. And for the health of Nicolle, Aaron and Ashley Buttino. Donated by Sonia Buttino. Parish Officer Contact Information Rector: Archpriest John Udics: (315) 866-3272 - [email protected] Committee President and Cemetery Director: John Ciko: (315) 866-5825 - [email protected] Committee Secretary: Subdeacon Demetrios Richards (315) 865-5382 – [email protected] Sisterhood President: Rebecca Hawranick: (315) 822-6517 – [email protected] Choir Director: Reader John Hawranick: (315) 822-6517 – [email protected] Birthdays in April – God Grant You Many Years! 3 – Pearl Tynda 16 – Rose Gala 9 – Teddy Woods 21 – Barbara Brinck 16 – Madeline Nuzum Memory Eternal. 1 - Harry and Anna Homyk 18 - Mary Bawolak (1971) 1 - Michael Gallik (1977) 18 - Celia Gromadzki (1980) 1 - Theodosia Kluka (1992) 20 - Mary Gromadzky (1995) 2 - Susanna Hardish (1976) 20 - Dimitri Olena Michael 2 - Michael Spytko (1998) 20 - Michael Alexczuk 2 - Ann Garbera (2009) 21 - Elizabeth Kencharek (1977) 4 - Stephen Hladysz (1976) 22 - Katherine Sokol 92006) 6 - Frank Sywetz (1981) 26 - Michael Sleuska (1973) 7 - Anna Prawlocki (1985) 26 - Mary Elnicky (2009) 7 - Walter Prawlocki 27 - John Komanecky (2006) 8 - Peter Mezick (1993) 28 - John Hrynda (1986) 8 - Nicholas Keblish, Sr (2000) 29 - Melanie Sobolowski (1973) 10 - Helen Hovanec (1982) Walter Jovorosky Jr 13 - Michael Stehnach (1982) Anne Jovorosky 14 - Frank Dziadik (1981) Walter Jovorosky 15 - Theodosia Kluka Frank Prawlocki 16 - Pauline Shipley (1974) John and Vera Prawlocki 17 - Anne Hardish (1991) Paul and Kay Sokol QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 84. What would happen if, because of sudden illness or an emergency, you couldn't make it for a service, Father? What should we do? Does the Reader just take over? When the Bishop assigns a Pastor to a Parish, and authorizes him to serve at that particular altar, he makes the Pastor responsible for the services in his parish as well as everything else that happens there. So, the Pastor must decide what measures should be taken if he will be absent. When the Pastor can’t serve, he informs the Dean or the Bishop of his disability, and discusses arrangements for a substitute priest. If the Pastor can't be contacted or is incapacitated, the Council President should phone the Dean 2 Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Newsletter, April, 2012 or Bishop to inform them of the Pastor’s disability and to ask about the availability of a substitute priest. The Church Warden or Council President, Choir Director or Reader have no authority to make decisions about the services. When no substitute priest is available, the Pastor or his superior might authorize a deacon, subdeacon or tonsured reader to lead a 'reader's service.' If the Parish has no ordained or tonsured person to lead a reader’s service, the Pastor (or Dean or Bishop) might permit a layman to lead the ser- vice, perhaps the Choir Director, for example. But the point which cannot be stressed enough is that no one may lead or take any part or do any- thing in the services without the specific blessing (permission) of the Pastor or his superior. There is no such thing as an 'understood' or 'automatic' blessing. No one can ‘take over’ for the Pastor. Sometimes, a Bishop may assign someone other than a Priest to be in charge of a parish on a semi-permanent or even permanent basis, but that's not the question here. If, for some reason the Pastor or his superior does not give specific permission to someone else to lead the service, or if no one in authority can be contacted, then we come to Church, light candles if we wish, say our prayers in silence and return home, or we can go to another Parish. When a 'reader's service' is served, the one appointed to lead the service begins Vespers with the prayer, “Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us! Amen.” Then the leader reads the parts of the service which are usually read by a reader and the choir sings it's usual parts: Vespers psalms, troparia and kontakia, prokeimenon, 'Gladsome light,' the Apos- tikha verses, Saint Symeon's Prayer, concluding troparia, ending with the prayer, “Through the prayers of our holy Fathers...” as at the beginning. When Matins is sung as a 'reader's service,' it follows the same pattern as Vespers. Liturgy is not served as a 'reader's service' but is replaced with the service of Typical Psalms, or “Typika”, which an appointed replacement may lead following this same pattern. However, the Epistle and Gospel are not usually read unless a deacon leads the service. In the past, the service of Typical Psalms was called ‘Obednitsa’ and was a closer parallel to the Liturgy and included scripture readings. In another method of celebrating reader's services, the reader uses the exclamation, “Through the prayers of our holy fathers…” wherever the priest would normally give an exclamation, and the litanies are replaced by the choir singing “Lord have mercy” as many times as it would normally sing a response in that litany. Whatever the style of reader’s service, it’s the Pastor’s responsibility to train the parish’s readers in how services are celebrated in that particular Diocese and Church. If the Pastor blesses someone else to lead the service, they stand in their appropriate particular places: tonsured Readers stand in the Choir as usual, or in the center of the Church: Subdeacons stand in the center of the Church; Deacons stand in their usual place on the Amvon, or sometimes in the center of the Church, with the curtain opened behind the Royal Doors. In some places, a Deacon may be blessed to wear his vestments and be permitted to chant the litanies as usual, with the exception that he use the exclamation, “Through the prayers of our holy Fathers...” at the end of each litany, and following the pattern above. Neither the Deacon, Subdeacon or Reader give or chant any blessing. That is, they never say, “Peace be to you” for example, they do not bless with their hand, nor do they give the cross at the end of the service. One of our clergy asked if there's a complete text of the reader's service in print. The ‘priestless’ Old Believers are reported to have published a complete text for readers’ services. And the Diocese of Alaska published The Read er’s Service of the Hours and the Obednitsa . 3 Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Newsletter, April, 2012 85. I have a question from the Book of Genesis, chapter 6, verse 2. Who are these 'sons of God' and where did they come from? And in verse 4, who are the 'giants' and where did they come from? Are there really giants? And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. [6.2- 4 KJV] The Jerome Biblical Commentary says this passage was perhaps simply imported to the Bible from one of the popular creation myths of the day. It's likely that ‘the sons of God’ and ‘the daughters of men’ simply means ‘people’ and not members of any specific race or group. The term ‘giant’ can refer to any exceptionally tall person, or to any great man. It is not necessarily the case that the Jews believed giants to be the offspring of gods and humans. Some people are confused by the fourth verse, thinking that it says the sons of God, who had children from the daughters of men, were giants. Remember that ‘giant’ can simply mean 'very tall person'. Two altar boys in one parish were well over six feet tall. When they served in the altar with me, I was surrounded by giants... 86. Why do you have to fast before Communion? Why from 12 o'clock? Before we commune in Christ’s Holy Body and Blood, we want to prepare a place for Him as morally, spiritually and physically clean and pure as we can. Along with prayer, re pen tance and confession, fasting is one of the important preparations for Communion. Fasting is the way we cleanse our physical bodies in preparation for Communion, and it also has spiritual value because it works to purify our attitudes and behavior, and helps us discipline ourselves and learn self-control. There are different customs about how long we fast before we receive Communion. Usually, people who receive Communion weekly begin to fast the night before. Some who receive Communion only once a year observe a 'black fast' or strict fast without meat, eggs, dairy products, or olive oil for an entire week before they receive Communion, just as during Lent.